Beth Holmgren(vocals, percussion, piano) nowadays is often called upon to impersonate Peggy Lee when Mappamundi does shows of swing music. She is also our specialist in smoky romantic Russian songs.

However ... long ago ... she sang in the Tanglewood Chorus before migrating to folk and popular music. She and Jane met in 1976, when they began to sing a cappella folksongs of Eastern Europe together in the women's Balkan ensemble Laduvane (see Mappamundi "Eastern Europe" page for a cute picture and sound samples). Currently Beth was Chairman of the Slavic languages and literatures department at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill; she now teaches at Duke. She gets the final word when we are arguing over the words and meanings of traditional songs from Poland, Russia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and other parts of Eastern Europe.

Holmgren performed swing (dance band music) and international folk music in Boston with bands The Earrings, Bussing Around, and Home Cookin'. Later she performed and recorded with the San Diego women's quartet "Malaika" (Sacred Harp and spirituals, British Isles traditional songs, Balkan women's music, Ladino songs, swing tunes) for the San Diego Folk Heritage Society and throughout southern California.

Beth recorded Courting Disaster: centuries of love songs with Jane on the Skylark Productions label.

Jane Peppler plays with the British Isles band the Pratie Heads, directs the Triangle Jewish Chorale, and owns "Skylark Productions," a recording company.

She variously taught beginning and ensemble singing and led a Celtic "Slow Jam" for the Duke University Short Course program for over twenty years.

She instituted the "Solstice Extravaganza," a Christmas Revels type event, in Durham in the late 1980s and produced it annually for seven years; as part of that gigantic project, she created the 16-voice a cappella group called the "Solstice Assembly," which made three recordings, was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, and played at Piccolo Spoleto. She was an arranger, transcriber, and singer for the a cappella women's Balkan group, "Laduvane," in Cambridge MA in the 1970s. In college, she sang, arranged, and transcribed for the Yale Slavic Chorus and played in the Yale Symphony Orchestra and the Yale School of Music Orchestra.

Jim Baird (guitar, acoustic bass, trombone, vocals) performs with dance bands, symphonic orchestras, and jazz groups. He co-founded the group Oxymora, a "contemporary-traditional" group based in Northern Virginia and recorded on Philo Records. He has also recorded folk music and traditional Appalachian music for June Appal Records with such artists as Si Kahn and John McCutcheon.

He directs the string program and the guitar program at the Durham Magnet Center for the Performing and Visual Arts.

He has recorded recently with Michael DeLalla on the Falling Mountain Music label, and performs with the Headliners.

Ken Bloom (guitar, bandura, bowed dulcimer, clarinet, concert zither, banjo, mandolin, domro, balalaika, fiddle, recorder, Irish flute, Northumbrian Pipes, vocals) has given solo concerts all over North America since 1974, including appearances at Folk Festivals and clubs including the Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Owen Sound, Philadelphia, and Mariposa Festivals as well as appearing in major venues across the country and appearances on A Prairie Home Companion.

More recently, my appearances have been closer to home. My North Carolina presentations include: The Stokes Stomp, Hiddenite Center, Turkey Festival (Raeford),Red Springs Highland Games, Mt. Airy Storytelling Festival, and many others.

These programs include the traditional music of this country as well as Celtic and Eastern European selections. I usually use Concert zither, Northumbrian-smallpipes, guitar, clarinet, and Minstrel banjo, but I will often include other instruments and traditions as well. I try to introduce audiences to unfamiliar sounds in an entertaining way and expand their musical view of our ever-shrinking world.

He has been a luthier for more than twenty years, building instruments not commonly available from other sources. I have done a tremendous amount of research on these and, wherever possible, have consulted with native builders and players. If what you are looking for is not listed below, contact me and we can discuss your needs. He presents Living History programs for schools and Civic groups on Highlanders in North Carolina and Scottish Highland regiments that served here in North America. These presentations include the use of the Great Kilt, Broadsword, musket, tactics and a wide range of techniques that were used by these hardy soldiers in the early history of our country. He has presented both Historical and musical programs at National Battlegrounds including, Guilford Courthouse, 96, and Moor's Creek Bridge. I regularly participate in programs presented at Explore Park near Roanoke demonstrating the music and songs of the era as well as the military and woodslore techniques unique to Scottish Highlanders of the 18th century.

Jane with other people